On January 6, the men's singles semifinals of the ATP 250 Hong Kong station began, and in the first match that just ended, Chinese teenager Shang Juncheng performed well, playing three sets with the world's No. 5 Rublev, and finally was reversed by his opponent 6-4, 2-6, 3-6 and missed the final. Although he lost the match, he was able to play three sets with the world No. 5, and he was still honored.
Currently ranked No. 5 in the world, Rublev has won one Masters title and two runners-up, and has the best forehand and is one of the strongest men's singles players today.
Shang Juncheng broke out in this tournament, winning three consecutive games to advance to the semifinals, and defeated Tiafoe in the last round to create the best record of his career. Shang Juncheng and Rublev have no record of fighting, Rublev's odds are 1.07, and Shang Juncheng's is 5, which is a big difference.
In the first set, Shang Juncheng entered the state quickly, and led 2-0 in a row. Rublev gradually got into the groove after that, and he held serve smoothly in the service game. Shang Juncheng also withstood the pressure and won all the service games smoothly, and finally won the first set 6-4.
In the second set, Rublev improved his form, in addition to a strong serve, the winning point of the forehand also continued to blast out, and he easily equalized the score at 6-2 after completing two consecutive breaks.
In the deciding set, Shang Juncheng could barely withstand Rublev's attack in the opening stage, and the first 7 games of the game were held by both sides, and the score was 3-4. In the 8th game, Shang Juncheng's physical fitness declined, and he was broken by double faults in a row, and the score came to 3-5. In the 9th game, Rublev's serve won the game, he did not miss the opportunity, easily held serve, won 6-3, and won 2-1.
In the whole game, Shang Juncheng played very well when he was physically fit at the beginning, and he was able to play evenly with Rublev. However, in the second and third sets, with the decline in physical fitness, he was a little unable to withstand Rublev's fierce offensive and finally lost. To be able to play 3 sets with the world No. 5 is also an honor even though it is defeated.